All Things Dillard - Part 5

[nastyhobbitses]

Indeed! They probably just took whatever the missionaries were dishing out just to get them to stop talking after a while. It's like these fundies think they are fighting the Crusades again - just because locals don't believe in your flavor of Christianity doesn't mean they don't know anything about religion or belief.

And I read the blog and so wanted to comment that she means PEEK in the title and the first line - and the crazy thing is she used it correctly halfway through the post! (Sorry, I am a bit of a grammar freak.)

I'm sure that the guards stay at their jobs partially for the money, and partially so they can have some great "you will not believe what my idiot gringo boss said today" stories when they hang out with their buddies after work. And I commend them for their restraint; were I one of the guards, I'd start claiming to be Hindu/Muslim/a worshiper of Quetzalcoatl just to mess with the gringos.

[halcionne]

How about not pissing off the people with guns protecting you?

And leaving them alone, so they can do their job?

What a joy to see faces that had been etched with worry smiling and at peace with God by the end of their five-day shift with us!

Nice to know that babysitting you for five days changed their lives. :roll:

Regarding Duggar kids and the GED, when was the last time Michelle or Jim Bob mentioned that all the kids get one? I suspect it's not happening anymore. I remember Josiah got an announcement and party, as did Jinger and Joseph, but I don't specifically recall GEDs. Doesn't mean it didn't happen, and if I weren't behind on my FJ reading, I might look into it myself. I did look into Jessa's graduation a few months ago, but I don't remember what I found, except that she graduated on a road trip through Georgia when they appeared in Courageous (or something along those lines).

[Exposedknees]

I don't know why but Jill seems miserable lately. In every photo I see she looks awkward and just out of it, especially in the Congratulations Video. I mean, she always was awkward but used to be more bubbly.

I agree. Motherhood is getting to her. Poor Jillymuffin...It's a good thing Daddy is sending JoyAnna to help pick up the slack. :clap:

[SportsgalAnnie]

I agree. Motherhood is getting to her. Poor Jillymuffin...It's a good thing Daddy is sending JoyAnna to help pick up the slack. :clap:

but who is picking up the slack at duggarasylum hq I mean their home.

[nastyhobbitses]

I agree. Motherhood is getting to her. Poor Jillymuffin...It's a good thing Daddy is sending JoyAnna to help pick up the slack. :clap:

Considering her model for motherhood was "have baby, pay attention to it until it stops being cute, hand off to older child, go off to schtup husband vigorously until you're pregnant and thus the center of attention again", I'm not surprised.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Maybe the heat and the insects and the change in diet and the close living quarters have taken their toll. It's one thing to imagine the life of being a missionary but another to actually live that life day to day. She went from her large, well maintained home with all the conveniences (good water pressure, reliable electricity, air conditioning) to sharing one room with Derick and the baby in a place that may be a bit less luxurious. It is probably a lot more stressful than she ever imagined. Plus for most of her married life she has had plenty of privacy and money to do what she wants-- eat out or go shopping or go hang out at her parents house. Now the choice of what to do, what to eat, when to go to bed, etc. are not up to her.

[MakeItSo]

Maybe the heat and the insects and the change in diet and the close living quarters have taken their toll. It's one thing to imagine the life of being a missionary but another to actually live that life day to day. She went from her large, well maintained home with all the conveniences (good water pressure, reliable electricity, air conditioning) to sharing one room with Derick and the baby in a place that may be a bit less luxurious. It is probably a lot more stressful than she ever imagined. Plus for most of her married life she has had plenty of privacy and money to do what she wants-- eat out or go shopping or go hang out at her parents house. Now the choice of what to do, what to eat, when to go to bed, etc. are not up to her.

I believe you're right. I have mentioned the same argument before when people where tearing into Derrick, saying how horrible he's been looking. I really think the hot sticky climate, caring for a new baby, just overall new environment can be enough to make most of us look like we haven't slept/looked into a mirror in a while.

[JenniferJuniper]

Maybe the heat and the insects and the change in diet and the close living quarters have taken their toll. It's one thing to imagine the life of being a missionary but another to actually live that life day to day. She went from her large, well maintained home with all the conveniences (good water pressure, reliable electricity, air conditioning) to sharing one room with Derick and the baby in a place that may be a bit less luxurious. It is probably a lot more stressful than she ever imagined. Plus for most of her married life she has had plenty of privacy and money to do what she wants-- eat out or go shopping or go hang out at her parents house. Now the choice of what to do, what to eat, when to go to bed, etc. are not up to her.

I can't imagine doing all that with a newborn. If she has even a little bit of the baby blues, her misery is likely that much worse. And she'll probably be pregnant again before year's end. If this was all her wonderful husband's idea, he's an idiot.

Joy can probably be spared for Jilly Muffin's sake. Hannie's going to be 10 soon so she's plenty old enough to manage the little girls. The howlers save Jackson are all in their teens this year and pretty much left to their own devices. Jinderella and Janarella can handle the cooking and cleaning and laundry.

[MiddleAgedLady]

It also has to be really stressful to have armed guards around the compound and when they go visit the locals. This area just seems so dangerous!

[SassyPants]

Maybe the heat and the insects and the change in diet and the close living quarters have taken their toll. It's one thing to imagine the life of being a missionary but another to actually live that life day to day. She went from her large, well maintained home with all the conveniences (good water pressure, reliable electricity, air conditioning) to sharing one room with Derick and the baby in a place that may be a bit less luxurious. It is probably a lot more stressful than she ever imagined. Plus for most of her married life she has had plenty of privacy and money to do what she wants-- eat out or go shopping or go hang out at her parents house. Now the choice of what to do, what to eat, when to go to bed, etc. are not up to her.

And it's really the first time that she is in the real world without any creature comforts, support or money.

She lives in a harsh place- very, very hot, humid, bugs and without known-to-her-comforts. She does not speak the language.

She has a young baby- babies hate heat.

Then look at last week- Central America to NY-NY to TN- TN back to Central America. Girlfriend has a real life on the treadmill. It has to be a shock to her system.

[DeFrauder]

About those guards:

They are for sure already Christian. They already know as much, maybe more, about Christianity than these tourist missionaries.

They also know that pleasing the missionaries gets them extra pay--in the way of gifts--that will go to supporting their families. Plus, there are a thousand other people in line behind them to take their job if they say anything to displease their employers. It is to their advantage to keep up a facade of being saved every time a new group of young would be missionaries roll through.

[nastyhobbitses]

I believe you're right. I have mentioned the same argument before when people where tearing into Derrick, saying how horrible he's been looking. I really think the hot sticky climate, caring for a new baby, just overall new environment can be enough to make most of us look like we haven't slept/looked into a mirror in a while.

This. When I moved to rural China to work with an NGO (which I later quit because, while I was fine with the rural lifestyle, I was not fine with the very white savior-y attitude of my organization), I looked like hell. My hair was a greasy, dull mess because I'd go days without showering, and when showering could happen, the shampoo I could buy was a different formula from what I got at home (I later found some nice argan oil shampoo in a larger city and it was the BEST). My legs and arms were covered in bug bites (I still have scars from them). I lost ten pounds from a combination of not eating as much food in general, almost completely eliminating cheese and other dairy products from my diet (lactose intolerance is common in East Asia), and getting intestinal bugs on what felt like a weekly basis. I am more than willing to give Derick and Jill a free pass for not looking like supermodels while adjusting to life in a developing country. I will, however, give them crap for not seeming to do anything useful and generally being a burden/nuisance for the locals.

[MakeItSo]

It also has to be really stressful to have armed guards around the compound and when they go visit the locals. This area just seems so dangerous!

Absolutely! It's like when a police officer puts on the bullet proof vest every day at. That does something to you mentally. It reminds you of the real danger you could potentially find yourself in. Even if you get used to the vest/guards and it all just becomes "normal" after a while, subconsciously it'll always be there.

[princessmahina]

Izzy's only 4 months so probably not mobile yet= too young for blanket training. I suppose she could lay him on one to start getting him familiar with it but he can't move yet, I imagine. He may be able to roll over but likely isn't purposely rolling off a blanket to get a toy yet. Unless he's advanced;) My kids weren't quite rolling as a way of getting somewhere else at 4 months.

Izzy is so large that I often forget how young he really is. He looks older than 4 months to me. :)

[ClaraOswin]

One of our first interactions with the Duggars, before even their first special, was when my mom had twin babies and was having a really rough time with them. One of the biggest problems was that they would never sleep at the same time. A friend directed her to Michelle for advice, and Michelle just recommended blanket training. It really upset my mom to think of doing that to her babies, and so her impression of the Duggars was fairly negative from then on. I guess she felt like Michelle was dismissive about the problem, and even then (early 2000's) my mom said it was pretty clear Michelle didn't really take care of her own children.

Michelle is such a pathetic excuse for a mother. Popping a baby out of your body does NOT make you a mother, in my opinion.

[2manyKidzzz]

Just imagine those Duggar babies used to being smacked at a young age. What would that do to an infant/toddler/etc?

And, who could POSSIBLY actually take care of that many children alone. It just makes me angry....as it does everyone here I'm sure. Jim Boob and J'Chelle are just horrible people. I'm done for now.

[GunnBroker]

Anyone else notice Joy is going to Central America with the Dullard's? Sorry if I missed it here, I did a search for Joy and didn't see it mentioned. It's on JillyMuffin's Instagram.

[GunnBroker]

Oops. Found it two pages back. :embarrassed:

"Nevermind"

[Yoshimi]

Huh, I thought the general consensus was that Jill (and Derick) has looked MORE happier since making the move to Central America. Now she's back to looking miserable again? Maybe she was miserable because she had to come home to that toxic, soul-sucking family of hers for the weekend. ;)

Anyway, I found a photo of the Dills with Joy & Carlin in Guatemala yesterday. FWIW, this is the second sighting of Jill and Derick in the country this month. Another missionary (not SOS Ministries) met them in Guatemala a few weeks ago and Jill apparently mentioned that they had just moved there to teach at a school.

[YourGodIsNotMine]

I know I harp on this a lot, but is it cold right now in TN? Why is that poor baby dressed in a SWEATER and OVERALLS?

[hollywood]

I'm wondering if someone is going to fly out to pick up and fly back with Joy and Carlin or if they will be "trusted" to fly back just the 2 of them?

[DeFrauder]

Izzy is so large that I often forget how young he really is. He looks older than 4 months to me. :)

That IS a popular rumor!!!! :o

[Mabel]

I know I harp on this a lot, but is it cold right now in TN? Why is that poor baby dressed in a SWEATER and OVERALLS?

I just looked and no it really isn't all that cold out. It's been in the mid 80s, but I imagine it's still pretty humid.

[2manyKidzzz]

So no armed guards in the city, or am I hopelessly confused. Ha.

[DeFrauder]

So no armed guards in the city, or am I hopelessly confused. Ha.

I doubt they have body guards. The guards are probably to protect the SOS compound or when they travel in groups on SOS outings.